The present invention relates generally to lights for a sports bar used on motor vehicles, typically trucks.
In order to enhance night visibility, supplemental lights may be mounted to a sports bar located to position the lights above the cab of a truck with the lights located and orientated to supplement the vehicle lighting. The sports bar typically mounts to the cab of a vehicle at the front or rear of the cab, or mounts to the upper edge of a truck bed box so that the sports bar is located at the roof of the vehicle, at a height above the head of the seated driver and seated passengers. A plurality of lights is mounted to the bar, with the lights shining forward and slightly downward to enhance visibility in front of the vehicle. When mounted to pickup trucks with beds, the light bar is typically located at or slightly above the rear of the cab with the lights shining forward, over the top of the cab.
These supplemental night lights are often used in off-road situations where rough terrain with undergrowth may extend over the vehicle's cab and hit the lights, or in wooded terrain where branches may scrape the vehicle's top and hit the lights. The projecting lights may be damaged by contact with such undergrowth or tree branches either during use at night or during the daytime when the vehicle passes below the limbs of such undergrowth or branches. Further, any rocks or debris reaching the height of the vehicle's top may damage the lights by cracking or even breaking the lens on the light. There is thus a need for a light bar with lights that are more resistant to damage from passing undergrowth and branches.
These supplemental lights extend generally perpendicular to the top of the vehicle's cab and may create wind turbulence and noise when the vehicle drives on roads. Both the noise and resulting increase in fuel usage from the wind resistance are undesirable. There is thus a need for a light bar with lights that reduce wind turbulence and noise.